Why the low intake of Chinese into matriculation programme?

Inisiatif Pengislahan Pendidikan Nasional (IPPN) is deeply concerned over the extremely low intake of ethnic Chinese students for the current Matriculation Programme (2018).

According to the data collected by students on the ground, there is a great disparity of student intakes between the different ethnic groups. The table below summarises the intake for 2018.

The matriculation programme, intended only for bumiputera students, began offering 10 percent places for non-bumiputera students since 2003/2004.

Based on media reports, the government gave a commitment to increase the intake of ethnic Indians to seven percent in IPTAs in 2018. This was pursuant to the release of the Malaysian Indian Blueprint (MIB) in 2017.

The current intake seems to indicate that the commitment made by the government to improve the intake of ethnic Indian students in the matriculation programme is fulfilled to some extent.

However, the extremely low intake of ethnic Chinese students indicates that the government’s mechanism of balancing the ethnic intake in the matriculation programme is deeply flawed. The improvement in the intake of one ethnic group cannot be at the expense of another ethnic group.

Such a practice is unjust and irreconcilable with our national philosophy of education which calls for developing the potential of all in a holistic and integrated manner, so as to produce individuals who are intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and physically balanced and harmonious.

Education is the basic and fundamental institution that ought to be the beacon for developing an inclusive society that is stable, safe, just and tolerant, and respect diversity, equality of opportunity and participation of all people.

In view of the above situation, IPPN calls upon the minister of education to:

a. Clarify the student intakes of matriculation colleges this year by disclosing transparently the full information of student intakes by all matriculation colleges;

b. As a matter of urgency for the short term, take immediate action to rectify the enrolment this year by increasing the intake of ethnic Chinese and other students; and

c. Review and reform for the long run, policy of student intakes at all levels of colleges and universities, including the 10 percent allocation for non-Malay students in matriculation programme, with the aim to strike a balance between equal representation of ethnic groups and the merits of student enrolment while maintaining academic excellence of the institutions.

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IPPN is an education reform NGO. - Mkini